Programs to Prevent Cancer Needed

To the Editor: In his recent editorial, “Cancer Research — Controversy, Progress and Prospects” (in the July 17 issue), Dr. Frei seems to have ignored any mention of cancer prevention in his zeal to convince us that we are well on our way to curing these diseases. Although the mortality rate for several selected types of cancer did decrease from the late 1940s to the late 1960's, Dr. Frei omits a much more important fact: the overall cancer mortality rate, in annual deaths per 100,000 people, significantly increased from 1940 to 1973. Stated another way, 25,000 more Americans now die.